The microbial community in a petrochemical wastewater facility was not able to maintain hydrocarbon degradation, resulting in an inadequate effluent quality. In order to compensate for poor biological activity, the facility used PAC to absorb undegraded hydrocarbons. Despite its effectiveness, the use of PAC significantly adds to wastewater operation costs. The facility turned to Novozymes for a biological solution because it was looking for a way of minimizing costs at the same time as maintaining effective hydrocarbon degradation in the effluent.

Application

Novozymes carried out an evaluation of the microbial community to determine whether it could be enhanced for improved hydrocarbon degradation and reduction in PAC use. BioRemove 2300 was recommended to enhance hydrocarbon degradation due to its blend of specially selected microorganisms with unique hydrocarbon degradation capabilities.

Results

PAC addition was gradually reduced to maintain hydrocarbon degradation. Through the addition of BioRemove 2300, the microbial community was able to better handle incoming hydrocarbon loads. The plant was ultimately able to reduce PAC use by 54% without adversely impacting effluent quality.